Comic-strip readers fill up Cambridge park
Yep, nerdling readers of xkcd by Randall Munroe showed up en masse today at Thomas Williams Park. At 2:38 p.m.
Shane McGowan reports:
... At 2:38 exactly, we were crammed up against the park fence--we'd been watching the crowd try to fit about a thousand people on the jungle gym--when Randall made his appearance. The result? I was standing RIGHT NEXT to him during his speech. I made a really awful crack about kids getting crushed by our barrage and he looked right at me. His speech was really great--featuring the line, "So I guess wanting something DOES make it real"--and got lots of applause and cheers and somebody yelling "We love you, Randall!" And then he directed us to the whiteboards that had been set up to "correct the comic" (since, obviously, people turned up!) and Amanda, assiduous1, and I were among the first to draw on them! ...
Steve Huff was there and took a bunch of photos, including the one above.
Ultranurd estimates 700 to 800 people showed up.
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Yes, it definitely was
(And yes I was at both the Hub on Wheels and the XKCD meetup!)
Such a weird, fun experience! Possibly one of the geekiest flash mobs ever, and one of the most unique experiences of my life. I can't believe how many of us filled that tiny little park -- the neighbors that brought their kids by to play where aghast/amused to see so many geeks taking over their park.
Yet again I have some photos as well:
http://flickr.com/photos/varmazis/sets/72157602126673800/
(My camera battery was dying so I didn't take too many.)
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[VARiable expression] @ http://www.mvarmazis.com
me too!
I also went to both events ... and then to RiverSing at the Charles River in Cambridge. Were you there, too?
I should go to bed now -- 55 miles of riding and then two other events the same day (after a 26-hour fast the day before) is a bit much for this AARP-eligible guy.
I was!!
Wow Ron, we were at the same three events today! (Were you talking to a girl in a I *bike* BOSTON tshirt standing on a stool at XKCD? That was me, was that you??) Except I was wimpy and only did the 25 miler at HoW since my jalopy bike (and my jalopy self) really can't do a 45 miler easily.
RiverSing was beautiful, such a perfect way to end the day -- this very very eventful day!
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[VARiable expression] @ http://www.mvarmazis.com
yep
I do indeed remember (very briefly) talking to someone wearing that shirt. I was wearing one that said "THE INTERNET IS FULL - GO AWAY"
Holy cow, I met THE RON NEWMAN and didn't realize it at the time
What a funny coincidence! Glad that we've finally met Ron (even if we didn't realize it at the time)! My flickr account has some photos from RiverSing, just three or four. I was too busy enjoying the music and singing along to take photos.
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[VARiable expression] @ http://www.mvarmazis.com
that shirt?
The glow-in-the-dark Joel Furr shirt?
I've got that one, too! I probably would've worn it, too, had I gone. Oh, the matching outfit ignominy!
This shirt
Yep, Joel Furr. This shirt. That's not me, but that's the shirt. Does it really glow in the dark?
That guy?
Oh, man, I exchanged e-mail with him once.
I wonder if kibo was there?
No -- I ran into his
No -- I ran into his roommate there, and he said Kibo wasn't awake yet.
Velociraptor dance